WPI Flat Earth Society
The WPI Flat Earth Society, or The Free Thinkers Alliance, is one of the most secretive clubs on campus requiring a special introduction and initiation. The club's current philosophy focuses on secrecy to ensure that meetings stay focused on scientific discussion. The Free Thinkers Alliance is focused on the sole task of ensuring the completeness and availability of the WPI Model. A highly technically complex analysis that broadly hints at everything from our place in our universe to world weather and geography. The club is outspoken about not being part of any international or national efforts that don't take the scientific aspects seriously enough. The exclusivity of the club also doubles as security to vet out initiates from trolls and agents. The Free Thinkers Alliance has gone through several drastic changes in structure since it's early formation at some point in 2003, but their fundamental understanding of what is now known is the WPI model has remained incredibly consistent. Little is known about the club currently other than rumors of a recruitment push in 2018. But with no firm evidence of a trajectory it could be a hard sell to prospective members, even those that share the sometimes unorthodox beliefs of the club. History The Club was first started at some point in 2003 by friends and roommates: Carl Dressinger, Ron Wushabi, Nathan Rusham, and Gordon Israel. At that point it was mostly just a social club, a place for friends to discuss philosophy and astronomy in the privacy of their dorm. Club alums note that Carl first took a deep interest in taking their small gathering more seriously by trying to reach out to fellow students with their ideas. As a part of the class of 2004, they decided that they would take the club further when they got back from the fast approaching summer brake. When school started again in the fall, the roommates started distributing lots of, now lost, merchandise and pamphlets to spread word of the clubs existence. While many students flocked to join the fledgling club, it seemed few had genuine intentions for club admittance. There where so many initiates at their first meeting that they had to go outside of their small space in Salisbury and continue the meeting outside. While it seemed like a promising continuation for the club for it's senior founders, the common intention of the populace soon became known as the communal WPI models subsections became increasingly non-sensical. By the fourth meeting of the new club, there was a big divide between the club founders and with their graduation just around the corner it left the club at an important junction without clear leadership. By the time the end of the year rolled around, the club had almost nothing but a reputation for being the laughing stock of the school with two of the four founders having denounced their part in the club as being a joke and a troll. The club went underground under the direction of an unknown freshman who spent a lot of time with Carl Dressinger before the end of the year and seemed to maintain a communication link long after he left WPI. The unknown student who is credited with reviving the club did so by turning it into the secret society that it is known for, though it has gone through many philosophical alterations since this phase. By the Fall of 2004, the club had fully rebranded itself returning to it's roots with a name inspired by early flat earth supporters. The overall tone of club merchandise and it's dark appearance was supposed to convey a level of seriousness that with the less obvious title would throw off all but the most invested scientific minds. Most of the club recruitment at this time was done by direct contact from the unknown club founder. This meant that, once again many of the clubs members where friends before admission to the club. Many of the clubs members at the time thought that the controversially dark appearance the club took on did more harm than good to the clubs on campus image and fought against it's wide adoption. By Early 2006, the clubs image conflict became so great that there had to be a meeting devoted entirely to the future of the club. This meeting outlined a lot of the characteristics that the club is currently known for, including involving non-club members in structured debates to build on what was quickly becoming the WPI Model. It also outlined a new more structured recruitment strategy as many of the clubs members where nearing their senior year and looking ahead to the future of the club. At this time it is rumored that the club had around 20 members. In the period following the 2006 club reformation, little is really know for certain. It is pretty obvious that the club elders graduated and moved on with little ceremony after electing new membership from junior members of the club. The reason so little is known is because of how much the new establishment valued secrecy in completing the new WPI model. But there was still a strong emphasis on recruitment as a goal for the establishment was to avoid facing drama resulting from large portions of the club graduating at a time. The WPI model was made an official, compiled paper document at some point over the next five years gradually being improved and edited by members as they came and went. This time is often considered the clubs golden age, as there was relatively little drama and no need to seek out new members or over advertise. The club was able to be incredibly productive over this period. At some point around 2012, club members decided that the WPI model was important enough that it should be an easier resource for students to access and discuss. This would lead to a final philosophical pivot in the clubs ideals. Around the middle of 2013 a flyer was distributed including information about a new free thinkers club detailing the locations of many internet based student written unpublished documents. The flyer was attributed to The Free Thinkers Alliance. A more friendly, if still incredibly secretive, face for the club. Little is known about the club in it's current state with no list of members and only minor edits to the model, many students wonder what the clubs current priorities are. Club Philosophy The WPI flat earth club believes in coexistence and education with the scientific body of the school that doesn't share our understanding. They are however required to assume secrecy due to frequent harassment from outside sources. Despite its secrecy, the club occasionally seeks out new members and connects with distinguished minds around the world. Even though secrecy is fundamental to the group, they are known to engage in parlance with those who present their opinions with respect. Meetings have no common time week to week and month to month. The club meets when there is demand. Generally, meetings occur after news in the world of science and academia is released to the public or when a member proposed a change to the WPI model worthy of discussion. Debate and discussion between groups of different beliefs are a foundation scientific progress and is the reason the club will often request members of the WPI community to come to club meetings and debate about their understanding of place in the universe. Initiation While rumors run rampant about club initiation, little to no information on this subject has been confirmed. Individuals wishing to join the club have to prove their philosophic worth first by adding a meaningful addition or comment to the extensive and ever growing collection of ideas known as the WPI model. The WPI Model The WPI Flat Earth Model is one of the most scientifically sound and well thought out models harbored on the internet. Category:Community Category:Secret Societies